Du Toitskloof Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2010 3L

An accessible well balanced Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz blend with soft and ripe tannins. The typical Cabernet Sauvignon characteristics of juicy black berries, ripe red berries and mint undertones are paired well with the Shiraz's pepper and spice to create a rich medium bodied wine.

in the vineyard : All the grapes for this blend came from within 5 km of the Du Toitskloof cellar. The vines, grafted on to Richter 99 and 101-14 rootstock and grow in slightly clayey, sandy soil. Based on soil moisture levels as measured by neutron hydrometers in the vineyards, controlled irrigation is applied, thereby also ensuring small berries with an excellent skin to fruit ratio providing an intense colour and flavour spectrum. Leaf canopies were carefully managed to ensure the berries receive adequate sunlight.

about the harvest: The grapes were picked when they reached optimum physiological ripeness.

in the cellar : The grapes of the two cultivars were vinified in more or less the same way. They were crushed and de-stemmed at 24° C - 26° C Balling, and the mash pumped to rotor tanks where it was left on the skins for 3 days at temperatures between 10° C - 15° C to allow maximum extraction of colour and flavour. Selected yeast strains were added and fermentation allowed to take place at a controlled temperature of 24° C while the rotor tanks were turned every 4 - 6 hours to increase extraction. After the primary fermentation lasting 6 to 7 days, the wine was racked and the skins pressed. After malolactic fermentation the wine was aged for 6 months in French oak before bottling. The final blend was made up of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Shiraz.